Swiftclan The small clan with big hearts
by SwirlHeart101
Summary: This story is based on the characters of my clan in real life with my friends that is only the first 4 characters. My first fan fic so please read and review! Highly appreciated. Rated T because there will be some/a lot of blood in later chapters.
1. Prologue

This story is based on my real life clan I have with my friends, so enjoy!

The harsh water lapped at swirlstar's paws her eyes content on the world around. She lashed out a paw as a sudden movement wiggled underwater, a fish came splashing onto the rough earth and she quickly finished it off. She lay down beside the creature, eating it in two quick bites before she got to her paws and shook the water droplets off her fur. Her light blue eyes and brown fur gleamed in the sunlight as she started to pad back to the camp through the forest.

As she got to the camp entrance she gazed down upon it, her deputy shadow heart was talking to their shared apprentice flame paw while tiger kit was pouncing around with a moss ball. Swirlstar smiled down at them, they were just a small clan but they have hearts like Lionclan.

Swirlstar padded down the camp entrance heading towards her deputy and apprentice. She nodded a quick welcome then meowed "Flamepaw shall we go and do a trainning session?" Flamepaw quickly sprung to her paws and quickly replied "Yes! What are we going to do!" Swirlstar stared at the apprentice delight filling her eyes that there apprentice was excited. "Calm down young Flamepaw wait and see. Also shadow heart stay here we cant leave tiger kit alone we don't know what trouble he will get into to!" Shadow heart nodded while swirlstar padded back out of camp with flame paw padding with excitement next to her.

As they padded deeper into the forest the scent of prey grew even stronger making flame paw squeal with delight as she tried to make sense of all the different scents around her. "We are going hunting aren't we!" Flamepaw jumped with excitement, her first hunting lesson, she had been waiting for this from when she was a tiny kit laying beside her mother in the nursery.

Swirlstar nodded her head and soon stopped as she caught the scent of a vole scuffling in the undergrowth beside her. She signalled with her tail for flame paw to be quiet however come forward silently. "Crouch low" she whispered "be light on your paws and when you are in reach of your prey pounce and quickly finish your prey off."

Flamepaw carefully crouched low her instincts all fixed on the vole. She moved along slowly placing her paws carefully down before she pounced and finished of the vole before it could escape. Flamepaws eyes filled with delight as she looked down at the prey she just caught. "Well done flame paw" swirlstar meowed "nearly stepped on the branch over there" she signalled with her tail. "could of lost you that prey."

Flamepaw saw the stick her mentor was signalling to and nodded understanding how lucky she was to catch the prey. Then sniffed the air to smell a mouse hidden in brambles a tail length away. She padded over and dropped into a hunters crouch and padded forward minding her stepping carefully. The wind blew her scent towards the mouse and it came out of hiding and ran deep into the forest.

Flamepaw sighed, she could of caught that! "Don't blame your self flame paw, not even warriors or leaders always have successful hunting. The wind changed so the prey could smell you, when hunting always try and make sure the wind is blowing towards you so you can smell the prey and not the other way round. The wind always changes so don't blame your self if that happens"

Flamepaw nodded and swirlstar signalled with her trail for flame paw to follow her back to camp as the sun began to set behind them leaving a orange glow on the horizon. Swirlstar let the wind flatted her fur as the scents of the forest surrounded her.

Flamepaw padded down the camp entrance and headed towards the fresh kill pile putting her catch proudly upon the pile. Shadowheart padded up to her and congratulated her at her first catch. Flamepaw smiled then padded towards the apprentices den yawning.

Swirlstar padded over to shadow heart who greeted her with a flick of her tail. Swirlstar crouched down beside her and meowed "She caught a good piece of prey today, quiet plump." Shadowheart nodded.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Swirlstar was crouched in her den, light filtered in from the gap in the rock filling the den with warm air. Birds sang over head as the sun begun to rise. Noises started to come from the camp as the hunting patrol of Shadowheart and Flamepaw began to leave.

She signed as she saw at how small her clan was, they had no enemy clans but if badgers attacked they would have no hope in wining. She silently got to her paws and padded out from her den to find tiger kit pouncing around a plump thresh pretending to catch it.

She smiled at the young kit. "Like this" she meowed lowing down into a hunters crouch. She silently and carefully crawled along before pouncing on the plump vole. She gestured with the kit to try. The kit crouched low stalking forward and pounced tripping over its tail. Tigerkit got up head and tail high "I will become the best hunter in the clan" he meowed proudly "Well after I stop falling over my tail" he let out with a laugh.

Swirlstar padded away from the kit, she longed to be out in the forest running but she could not go unless someone looked after the kit. They found her alone in twoleg place, lost and lonely. They found her and brought her back with them only moons ago.

Swirlstar had run away from her old clan as she was a half clan cat and they would of never excepted her, they had made that clear. She got the courage one day to run and start her own clan where they were loyal and caring. Shadowheart and flame paw had come with her. Shadowheart being her sister and never would have been accepted. Flamepaw came as she was weak with a bad paw and the clan threw her out and called her useless. Her paw quickly healed when they found a new home.

Shadowheart and Flamepaw emerged from the entrance as the sun was at its highest. They carried two mice and a crow. They nodded there heads towards Swirlstar before heading to the fresh kill pile beside her to put the prey.

Swirlstar turned to Shadow heart "Going out into the forest" she meowed before she lead her self up the hollow into the forest. The wind blew through her fur sending shivers down her spine.

She lifted her nose and sniffed the air smelling loners. Her ears pricked before she crouched low following the scent trying not to be seen. As she got closer to a grassy space where they trained there apprentices she saw two toms. She stared at them, they were both skinny and looked weak but she knew she could not underestimate them.

She padded out of the undergrowth her teeth on show as she snarled at the intruders. "What are you doing on Swiftclan's territory". They stared at her with pure wonder. "Explain your self" she hissed.

"We are not looking for trouble" a bracken coloured tom replied "Just food and somewhere to rest" the other tom nodded.

"I could help you" Swirlstar replied with caution "But how do I know I can trust you"

The two toms looked at her with pleading eyes. "Follow me but remember you will be watched very closely till we know you can trust you."

"We?" replied a light grey tom with a white underbelly. Swirlstar nodded "We, there are more of us at the hollow"

The two toms followed her through the forest, Swirlstar behind them so they didn't try to surprise attack her. As they drew nearer to the camp the toms begun to bristle. "They won't hurt you unless you hurt them or I command them" she replied.

The toms nodded and padded on following the strong scent of cats. As they padded to the top of the hollow they looked down in wonder as they saw they saw the apprentice and mentor sharing tongues and the kit playing with a crow.


	3. Chapter 2

Swirlstar pushed the toms forward with her tail "come on then" she meowed starting to pad down the entrance to the camp. The toms walked side by side ready to defend them selves if needed.

The three cats looked up as two loners padded into their camp, Swirlstar beside them. Shadowheart got up from where she was sharing tongues with flame paw. "Who are they?" she asked gesturing with her tail.

"I am bramble tail" the bracken coloured tom meowed and then gestured with his tail to the light grey tom with a white underbelly and paws. "This is my brother stone pool" the light grey tom dipped his head.

"I found them starving" Swirlstar replied "They were looking for shelter and food, I told them they could stay here for a while but they will be watched with caution so they don't pull any tricks"

Swirlstar lead the toms over to the unused elders den. "You two will stay here, I will get the apprentice to bring you some food and water soon" she padded back out of the hole in the wall and went over to flame paw. "Get them some fresh kill and water" she meowed.

Flamepaw dipped her head before rushing off to the fresh kill pile to get the toms some prey. Swirlstar crouched down her head full of questions, what would she do if these toms attacked, if they were stronger than she thought they was.

Shadowheart's voice came from beside her "They won't" she meowed "You can clearly see they are not healthy enough, if anything they would want to join the clan"

Swirlstar nodded "They could and that might bring us kits, but that is there choice but for now we must see if we can trust them before thinking about them joining us"

Shadowheart nodded "We won't keep watches" swirlstar continued "That might intimidate them and that might scare them off, however we need to watch them while working around the clan, just to be safe. Keep Tiger kit in sight at all times, they might be kit stealers for all we know"

Shadowheart nodded and padded off to find Tigerkit. Swirlstar licked her paw and drew it over her ear doing this a couple of times before she padded over to the elders den. She poked her head inside "Is everything alright?" she asked the two toms as they were eating there mice in famished gulps.

They nodded life coming back into there eyes as they filled there bellies. She smiled as she heard stone pool start to purr. Maybe they weren't dangers and they could trust them. She shock her head, she couldn't make a judgement so early on. All they were doing was eating and purring she thought to her self.

As the toms finished eating they slowly got up and padded to the fresh new moss bedding made for them. They curled up the sun setting out side letting rays of sun into the rock hollow making stone pool's fur shimmer. She smiled at him as he slowly fell asleep before padding out of the den into the clearing of the camp.

She stared up at the sky as stars began to come out "Starclan could these cats be what we were waiting for to start out clan?" she asked. A star shot past the sky leaving Swirlstar wondering if these cats were truly going to help there clan.


	4. Chapter 3

Swirlstar woke in the centre of the camp, she had drifted off as she wondered if the toms would help there clan or not. She slowly got to her paws looking around the camp. She had to go on the hunting patrol at dawn but shadow heart had gone for her as she had been sleeping.

She looked around her eyes fixed on the elders den. She had to check that the toms hadn't sneaked off with the kit over night or are planning something. She padded to the elders den in the rock and saw the two toms meowing to each other and suddenly stopped as she padded in.

"What were you talking about" she meowed in curiosity. "How nice you are all being" bramble tail meowed "We haven't eaten that well since…I don't think we ever have"

Swirlstar smiled "Just don't try anything and you could be eating like that all day" the toms grinned enthusiastically clearly wanting that. Swirlstar flicked her tail for the toms to follow. She padded out into the clearing the toms following her out.

"You can stay out here for now" she meowed "Just don't go to the forest, remember we still need to watch you" the toms nodded and crouched down, the sun glistening down on the toms."

Swirlstar sighed happily before padding off, they didn't seem much of a threat even now they had been fed. She sat down her tail over her paws and nodded her head towards them. "You can take something each of the fresh kill pile" she meowed turning her head in the direction of the fresh kill pile.

The two toms got to there paws making there way to the fresh kill pile. Maybe she should take them out hunting, showing them life in Swiftclan might increase there chance in staying.

She padded over to them as they finished there vole and crow. "Would you like to go out hunting" she meowed "Shadowheart is coming back now" she gestured to the camp entrance where Shadowheart and flame paw padded down with a mouse and a vole.

There was a moment of silence before the two toms nodded. Swirlstar headed for the entrance, the two toms following behind. "Do you know how to hunt" Swirlstar asked

"I know it sounds stupid but many don't get trained"

"We know how to hunt" they both meowed "but not very well" bramble tail meowed after. Swirlstar nodded, "I will show you how we hunt in the forest"

She lifted her nose taking in the scents around her, she caught the scent of a thrush hidden among the undergrowth. She carefully slid into a hunters crouch and stalked forward the thrush scent becoming stronger. She quickly pounced when she saw a movement in the undergrowth and finished the thrush off with one smooth bite to the neck.

"Now your turn" she meowed to stone pool not looking him in the eye. He lifted his nose and scented a mouse, crouching low he stalked forward but as he was about to pounce he stood on a stick, the noise alerting the mouse and it scurried away.

"I always do that" he meowed sadly "We both do"

"Is that all" Swirstar asked. "All you have to do is watch your footing, make sure you don't step on anything that will make a noise and you both will be able to hunt. Remember not all hunts will be successful. Sometimes the wind might change so the prey smells you instead of you smelling it so it will run away."

They both nodded "Your turn bramble tail" she meowed. The bracken coloured tom smelt the air catching the scent of squirrel. He padded along before crouching and stalking forward to catch a squirrel.

He rose up with triumph the squirrel hanging in his mouth. "Well done" Stonepool meowed looking at his brother.

Swirstar nodded, "lets go take the prey back, we can go hunting again tomorrow. Maybe Brackentail you can go with shadow heart and flame paw takes a day off while stone pool comes with me"

They both nodded as they all padded back to camp. Stonepool lagged behind his head low. Swirlstar stopped still he caught up with her "What is it?" she meowed "Was it that you didn't catch anything"

He nodded "I can never do anything, I am useless"

"No, you are not" she meowed "You will learn tomorrow more about hunting" she put her tail on his shoulder to comfort him. He stopped quickly looking into her light blue eyes before quickly padding on to catch up with his brother.

When they got back to camp she padded over to shadow heart "You will be taking Brambletail on a hunting lesson tomorrow" she meowed "I will be taking Stonepool, we will let flame paw look after the kits and refresh the beddings"

Shadowheart nodded and Swirlstar made her way to her den. She crouched calmly in her moss nest, her mind set to rest, the toms weren't dangers, she could ask them to join the clan, but she had to find the right moment to. She calmly fell asleep knowing that they were safe and no sudden danger was to happen, at least she hoped.


	5. Chapter 4

Swirlstar woke up, the first light of dawn filtered through her den shining down on her. She carefully got up licking back her fur making it shine in the sun ray. She padded out of her den to see flame paw stretching and shadow heart talking to Brambletail.

She padded out to find Stonepool waiting for her outside her den. "Ready?" he asked enthusiastically. Swirlstar nodded and led him out of the hollow to go hunt. He padded beside her, his tail waving around with excitement.

"I see you are excited" she meowed letting out a slight purr. "Of course I am! Spending time with you" he drifted off silently "You will teach me to be the best hunter ever" he quickly replied after.

Swirlstar smiled gesturing with her tail for him to scent the air. He stuck his nose up scenting the scent of a vole. He carefully went to a hunters crouch making sure the wind wasn't blowing his way. He slowly stalked forward watching every paw step he took, one wrong paw step and the vole would disappear. As he got nearer towards the vole he sprung carefully grabbing the vole and finishing it off with one quick bite.

He stood up triumphantly "That is my first catch…..ever…" he muttered through the mouthful of vole. Swirlstar looked at him sympathetically "It won't be the last either, you can be sure of that"

As they started to return from hunting they had caught a vole each and a mouse. Swirlheart turned to Stone pool "Can I ask you something?" she meowed. Stonepool nodded and she continued speaking "Well you and your brother have seemed to fit in so well and I was wondering if you would like to join our clan?"

He stared at her with astonishment but after a few seconds nodded. "Of course I would" he purred "I am sure my brother would want to" "

Swirlstar started purring "Wonderful, I shall announce this to the clan, ask your brother, I need to know before I announce it, he needs to make a decision. Let's take the prey back then we can hold the meeting if your brother agrees"

They headed for the entrance to the camp, padding beside each other as they head for the fresh kill pile and put down there kill. Swirlstar turns to Stonepool and nods flicking her tail over to Brambletail.

He nodded and padded over, his courage growing as he padded to his brother side. "Swirlstar asked me something Brambletail" he gestured his tail to the leader "She asked us to join"

Brambletail hesitated then looked at Shadowheart with hidden expression in his eyes then nodded. "yes, I love her… I mean here and I will be happy to join."

Stonepool looked over at the she cat and nudged his brother playfully before padding over to the leader, his eyes full with happiness. "He said yes" he meowed. His paws twitching with anticipation for the meeting to be held all ready.

Swirlstar headed for the high rock and pounced on top. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting"

The cats begun to file round there eyes filled with curiosity. "As you know Stonepool and Brambletail have been living here for a moon and I have asked them to join the clan. They have accepted and will now become new warriors of Swiftclan!"

The cats below nodded with agreement and chanted the new warriors names. "Stonepool, Brambletail!" Swirlstar hushed them with her tail before meowing "Meeting over"

The cats went over to congratulate the warriors before going back to there dens. Tigerkit stayed with the warriors pouncing on there tails.

Swirlstar padded down and held the kit by the scruff. "Go to your den kit" she meowed. The kit kept on playing till Swirlstar gave her a stern look and she padded to her den.

Swirlstar turned to the new warriors "You will now be living in the warriors den" she meowed, flicking her tail for them to follow her. They came to another hollow in the rock face like the elders den. "This is the warriors den" she meowed "Moss is ready for you"

The two warriors padded in the warriors den nodding at shadow heart as they passed her. Bramble tail rushed over to the moss that was closest to shadow heart. Stonepool smiled clearly seeing they would be mates soon.

"You like her much don't you" he asked Brambletail teasingly. A silence hit the warriors den, bramble tail nodded silently before closing his eyes.

Stonepool wished it was that easy for him but Brambletail always had it easier, ever sinds they were kits Brambletail had been favoured by their parents. They threw stone pool out as he was useless, he couldn't hunt, or fight. Brambletail wouldn't live without his brother and followed with him and they ended up living as rogues.


	6. Chapter 5

Swilstar woke up, her nose filled with the scent of up coming new leaf. She slowly got to her paws the sun slowly sinking into her fur. She padded out of her den, the dawn patrol getting ready to leave. Every other day a dawn patrol would set out to renew the borders. She quickly padded over to the patrol dipping her head to shadow heart "I will take this patrol" she meowed "Get Stonepool and Brambletail for the patrol, I need to show them the borders, stay with tiger kit and then take our apprentice out later." she meowed.

Shadowheart nodded and went of to get the other warriors. She returned later with Brambletail and Stonepool by her side. They dipped there heads toward there leader.

"We will be going around the territory today" she meowed "You will learn where our borders are and when other cats are in our territory"

The two warriors nodded and followed Swirlstar out of the clearing and into the forest, she kept to the sides of the border heading to the edge of there territory where a stream ran.

They got to the stream, Swirlstar carefully dipped her head down and lapped from it's cool water, fish swimming around in it. The lifted her head up her muzzle dripping with water, she shock her head and the water droplets landed on the rocks around the stream.

"This is one of our borders" she meowed gesturing with her tail to the other side of a stream where a odd looking rock stood that reached into the sky in a triangle shape. "If we continue along the border there will be many more rocks like that to show where are border is however the scent will give most of that."

She leaped over the stream and padded over to the rock renewing the border. She nodded towards the toms and they padded on, Swirlstar calmly following them. As they went around the border many more stones were along the border.

As they got to the end of there patrol Swirlstar lifted her nose and a strange scent filled her nose. She looked around and spotted a large hole in the ground, she carefully moved forward sniffing around the edges.

"I have never smelt this scent before" she meowed to the two toms. "Have you ever smelt it?" The toms looked worried at each other "That scent is fox scent, big orange creatures with bushy tails and sharp teeth. Danger to any cat." meowed Brambletail.

Swirlstar looked at them in horror "It smells like there is more than one" she replied slowly. "That might mean danger to every cat, we need to go and talk to Shadowheart"

They rushed back to camp, skidding down the entrance to find Shadowheart sitting beside the fresh kill pile. "Shadowheart" she said in quick breaths. "Foxes!" Brambletail explained what foxes were and horror rose on Shadowheart's face.

"We will need to get more protection around the camp entrance" Shadowheart meowed "I will make sure that happens" she added. Swirlstar nodded her thanks. "No need to worry the kit but explain what is happening to flame paw" Swirlstar meowed.

Shadowheart hurried off and Swirlstar turned to the toms. "I want you two to collect bramble and place it around the camp entrance more firmly. The more bramble around the more it will catch it's fur and hurt it so it might give up before the fight starts and if there are more of them that might scare them off."

The toms padded off to strengthen the border. Her heart was beating fast at the new threat awaiting the clan, she had nine lives but if it went wrong she could lose her clan mates.

She shook the thought out of her head and went over to flame kit who was laying in the sun, happy as ever. She smiled down at the she cat, if it wasn't for this clan she could have been starving out in the forest now or even dead.

Swirlstar stared up at the kit "Starclan please help us, make sure the foxes don't attack and every cat comes back safely." Her mind filled with hope but the thought of what could happen if it went wrong was at the side of her mind still worrying her.


	7. Chapter 6

Swirlstar woke up, she had barely got any sleep with the worry of the foxes attacking anytime. I will take a patrol to check the dens she thought to her self, maybe me and Stonepool we can go and see if the foxes are still staying there.

She got up from her nest stretching and padded into the centre of the camp heading for the warriors den. She poked her head inside the warriors den and meowed "Stonepool, we need to go check the fox dens"

A sudden movement came from further along in the den, a light grey shape stood up and padded over, yawning. "Let's go" he meowed. Swirlstar saw that he didn't get much sleep to. The only thing that let her sleep last night was the thought of the tom was his misty amber eyes and voice.

"Are you alright?" Stonepool asked her as she stood looking out into emptiness. She quickly shook her head and replied "Yes, yes fine just lost in thought I guess." Stonepool nodded and they headed for the entrance to the camp.

When they go to the forest Stonepool lifted his nose the fresh scent of fox was overwhelming. "They passed by here last night" he meowed "just before sun rise"

Swirlstar looked into his amber gaze with worry and drew her eye sight back quickly. "Um…um…" she stuttered "They might be around here them" she meowed after taking quick breaths.

Stonepool nodded and padded trough the undergrowth following the scents of the forest. They came to the edge of the border where the small lake was. They crouched in the trees shivering as they watched four massive foxes laying in suns rays beside the lake.

"Four of them!" she whispered with horror, if they ever attacked the camp they would not win and would be forced out of there home. "We have to get rid of them somehow"

Stonepool rested his tail on her back to reassure her "They are stupid creatures" he replied "if a cat knew what to do they could have a chance at winning a fight against them, however big they are"

Swirlheart didn't feel reassured by his words but by the touch of his tail and his voice. She nodded and got to her paws "We have to distract them some how" she meowed quietly "Then get them off the territory somehow"

"All we can do is wait and hope they leave" Stonepool replied getting to his paws and turning back towards the forest. "Lets go and hunt and we will come back to see what has happened"

Swirlheart nodded and followed him out into the forest. "So…. what was it like being a loner when you and your brother were kits." Stonepool looked at her mystery shinning deeply in his eyes. "Terrible, we were starving, only Brambletail had learnt how to hunt but he had not fully finished his training. No cat would help us and since then we knew not to trust any cat. We came with you as we knew if no cat didn't help us soon we would starve to death."

Swirlstar dipped her head. "I am so sorry, that is so sad, I ran away from my old clan, they never accepted me, I couldn't live a life where I knew I would never fit in"

He nodded understanding as he had felt the same way back with his kin. "Well at least you are wanted now" he meowed. Swirlstar kept looking down "Sometimes I feel like I am not, that I am just a bossy leader that everyone has to put up with."

"No you are not!" he yowled "you are the best leader a clan could ever hope for and any tom out there who ends up being your mate will be the luckiest tom ever!" he quietly trailed off at the end. "I…I…I.. have to go" he meowed running back to camp leaving Swirlstar alone.

"And any she cat that gets you will be the luckiest she cat in the world" she quietly said after he had left. As she padded home her mind was filled with Stonepool, his amber eyes, light grey pelt and his voice.

She quickly shook her head. I cant be falling in love at a time like this! She padded back scenting the air every two steps making sure the foxes were not following her to camp. As she got closer to camp screeches and yowls of a fight came from the hollow.

She rushed up to the camp entrance to gaze down to see her deputy laying unconscious against a stone. The two warriors and apprentice were stuck in a fight with four foxes while tiger kit sat in the nursery hidden deep inside.


	8. Chapter 7

Swirlstar watched as the warriors and apprentice fought. She rushed down her heart beating quickly in her chest. We must win! She thought to her self, we must. As she drew nearer to a fox she saw flame paw struggling underneath a fox, it's teeth bared ready to finish her off.

Swirlstar jumped and bit it's hind leg, the fox fell letting flame paw scramble from underneath. "Check on Shadowheart" she yowled before jumping back into battle.

Swirlstar looked around and spotted a rather small fox she ran over and slammed into it. The fox turned and growled at her raking its claws down her side, she was bleeding heavily with blood. She jumped with much effort onto it's back and ran her claws down it making the fox flee with horror, she quickly jumped off as the fox went back to the forest.

Another fox followed it and Brambletail stood there yowling at the fox "Never come back fox dung!" Swirlstar looked around for Stonepool finding him raking his claws down the side of a fox barely two badger lengths away from her.

The fox quickly ran away and the fourth one following it as it looked around wondering where it's kin had gone. The warriors chased after them, the foxes spitting in anger. "Never! I mean never come back!" Brambletail yowled.

"Is everyone alright?" Swirlstar meowed checking at everyone's wounds, a few scratched sides but nothing major. "Where is Shadowheart?" Brambletail asked with pure worry in his eyes.

"Unconscious beside a rock, flame paw is looking after her right now" she replied. Brambletail rushed into the clearing and went over to Shadowheart.

Swirlstar looked at Stonepool confusion in her eyes "why is her so worried about her?" she asked. "You don't know" Stonepool meowed humour filling his eyes "they are mates silly!" he flicked his tail against her ear while laughing.

"Mates!" Swirlstar meowed. "I didn't see that happening, well they have been spending quiet a bit of time together" Stonepool nodded catching Swirlstar's gaze. She blushed then meowed "W..w..well at least they are happy"

Stonepool nodded "Shall we go and hunt some fish" he meowed. Swirlstar nodded and they padded over to the lake there pelts a inch away from brushing.

When they got to the lake they sat side by side looking down at the clear water watching the fish swim by, a small fresh kill pile of about four fish lay behind them. Swirlstar looked over at Stonepool and put her paw in the water splashing water over him.

Stonepool stood up his fur dripping with water before he lashed out a paw and water went flying over Swirlstar. They both laughed as Stonepool turned to Swirlstar he caught her eye and quickly looked away curling his tail tightly around him.

Swirlstar smiled and stared down at the pool, a soft tail touched hers. Swirlstar stared around at Stonepool with a confusion on her face. Stonepool looked her in the eyes trying to keep a firm gaze and quietly meowed "I..I…I. love you"


	9. Chapter 8

Swirlstar's eyes glowed with happiness, she edged closer to him there pelts brushing. "I love you to" she meowed feeling his warm fur against hers. Stonepool let out a sign of relief and licked her between the ears.

He looked back up at her "Will..will..will you be my mate" he meowed his eyes full with hope. Swirlstar nodded getting up to her paws "Of course I will!"

They both padded back to camp there pelts brushing. She felt the happiest she cat alive right at this moment, she wasn't scared of anything right now with her mate by her side. As she got back to the clearing Brambletail and Shadowheart stared at them.

Brambletail leaned down to Shadowheart's side. "I see we have new mates entering the camp" he whispered. Shadowheart nodded and licked him between the ears. "There not the only ones."

Flamepaw came rushing out of the apprentices den as Brambletail told her to get a rest and saw the two warriors side by side and rushed over to them. "Swirlstar and Stonepool sitting in a den!" Swirlstar nudged the apprentice with her tail. Flamepaw laughed "I will never get a mate and I like it that way, I will be free!"

Swirlstar laughed then meowed "That is what I thought till I met him" Stonepool looked at her lovingly and nodded down at the apprentice "This is true for more, you will understand when you find that special tom young apprentice."

Shadowheart got up and padded over to Swirlstar "I need to tell you something" she meowed "I…I am expecting kits!" Swirlstar gasped in wonder, the clan would finally grow strong and many more cats could live life in warmth and not starvation.

"Congratulations" she meowed happily. "I guess you are moving to the nursery, I thought you were just eating more, I know your appetite" she purred.

I am sorry the three resent chapters are late, I will be posting at LEAST ONE every week, so you guys will not complain, I would like to up load every day however that will not happen, school work and everything however I hope to post many chapters during the summer holiday.


	10. Chapter 9

Moons went by, leaf bare on it's way, the warm sun had disappeared to harsh snow and rain. Swirlstar rushed into the nursery her pelt white with the flakes of snow. "Are you alright Shadowheart?" she meowed worriedly.

Shadowheart nodded and moments later 4 healthy kits lay beside her. A black tom with white paws, a bracken coloured she cat, a tortoiseshell she cat and a white she cat. Shadowheart looked down at them proudly.

"What are you going to call them" Swirlstar asked. "This will be night kit, heather kit, red kit and frost kit" Shadowheart meowed pointing at them with her tail in order.

Swirlstar smiled as she looked at the new born kits, her eyes glittering of how proud she was of her sister. She bowed her head to the queen before leaving the den: she padded over to the high rock.

"May all cats that are old enough to catch there own prey, please gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting" she meowed as she climbed up onto the rock. The small clan gathered around her with Firekit in the middle of the small circle of cats under the high rock.  
"I have gathered you here as Firekit is 6 moons old and that means our clan has a apprentice!" Swirlstar meowed and she jumped down from the high rock into the circle of cats and stood next to Firekit.

"Firekit, from this moment on, you will be known as firepaw."

"Shadowheart, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Firepaw."

"Shadowheart, you have shown yourself to be a loyal and brave warrior. Do all that you can to pass on what you know down to Firepaw."

Firepaws name got meowed through out the clan as Swirlstar dismissed the clan and went back to her den.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tigerpaw padded over to the apprentice den, her eyes gleaming with pride, she had finally become a apprentice, this was her first step to becoming a warrior! She slowly pads into the apprentices den, the smell was completely different, not the smell of warm milk from a queen.

She stared around looking for a moss bed that was free for her to take, Flamepaw came out of the corner of the den and flicked her tail to a moss bed in the middle. "That one is mine" she meowed "you can pick out of any of the other ones." Tigerpaw padded over to a moss bed to the left of Flamepaws.

"You better get good sleep" Flamepaw laughs "You will get worked off your feet as a apprentice, but it will be worth it! I will be the best warrior that has every been in this forest!"

Fire paw laughed "You won't be the best warrior! I will be the best warrior! I will train my hardest and you won't nearly compare to how good I will be as a warrior!"

"Sure you will" Flamepaw laughed before padding out into the clearing, "Sleep tight young master warrior." Tigerpaw heard a loud laugh break out as Flamepaw was hidden out of sight.


	12. Chapter 11

"Wake up you fur ball, it is time for training!"Flamepaw meowed nudging the new apprentice to her paws "Don't want to be late on your first day do you" Tigerpaw shook her head, she had never been up so early before, as a kit she could sleep as long as she had wanted but now as a apprentice she had to wake up early for training and for patrols.

Flamepaw padded out of the den leaving Tigerpaw to her self, she stretched, her legs aching from the cold night, leaf bare was coming. This was going to be her first leaf bare, she feared it, she had listened to many of the tales as a kit and not one of them about leaf bare was any good.

She padded out of the den spotting her mentor waiting for her beside the high rock. "Come on Tigerpaw! We are going hunting today!" meowed Shadowheart from the other side of the camp. Tigerpaw felt sudden energy rush into her, she was going in to the forest, the place she had always wanted to go but could never as a kit! She rushed over to her mentor not being able to keep her feet still as she waited for her mentor the give the orders to leave camp.

"Let's go" her mentor meowed as they started to head for the bracken tunnel. Tigerpaw rushed along feeling the breeze of the forest brush back her fur. She stopped and stuck her nose in the air taking in all the different scents that were all around her, there were many scents and she wondered how she would ever recognise them all just by scent. 'Wait' she thought to her self 'I am not here to learn different scents, I am here to become the best warrior I can, to help my clan win their fights and bring them back food so we all can survive. "Are you coming?" Shadowhearts meow came from further in the forest, "I am coming" Tigerpaw meowed rushing after his mentor, he had been so lost in day dream he had forgotten that she was out hunting.

They continued to walk through the woods, it was bigger than she had ever imagined, she had wished for nothing more than this, apart from being the best warrior there ever was! They finally spotted before a small hole in the ground, "This is a fox den" Shadowheart meowed "However it has been long unused and we have spotted no sign of the fox since our clan moved here, some prey like to stay near this hole as they can shoot for cover down it if needed, but us as warrior and apprentices are big enough to cover the hole and stop the prey from escaping."

A smell hit Tigerpaw's nose, it smelt like something from back at camp, he searched his mind for what this smell was till he tracked it to be a vole. His ears pricked up hearing something in the trunks of the tree. Shadowheart put her tail over Tigerpaws mouth sensing for her to be quiet.

Shadowheart crouched down, her paws carefully placed as she slowly padded forward towards the sound, her paws missing each and every twig so she would not startle the prey. She crept forward more towards the vole, she could see it out of the corner of her eye, it didn't look like it had seen her. Shadowheart counted down from four in her head before pouncing towards her prey catching it between her paws and finishing it off in one quick bite.

Tigerpaw stared at Shadowheart, she admired the deputy, she made hunting look so easy. Then a another smell hit Tigerpaw's nose, something again from the clan, a squirrel maybe? Shadowheart nodded towards where the scent was coming from beckoning with her tail for Tigerpaw to try and catch the prey.

Tigerpaw crouched down, slowly stalking forward trying to dodge all the twigs but his paws landing on them at times but not letting off a loud crack, but the crack was just enough for the squirrel to hear and flee, he sprinted after his prey, his paws pounding on the earth as he tried to catch up with it. The squirrel skidded to one side and climbed up a tree leaving a frustrated Tigerpaw behind.

"You make it look so easy Shadowheart!" he meowed with frustration. "It takes practise" she meowed look down at her apprentice, "you would of caught that squirrel if you had minded your footing more, even the quietest of sounds alert the prey that you are here, anyway that is enough for now, you can go back to camp and do some apprentices duties, you need to get used to clearing up the Nursery after all. You will be going on the dawn patrol tomorrow so no sleeping in again!" Tigerpaw nodded, he was excited about the dawn patrol but why did he have to do the nursery, well it could have been worse he thought, it could have been the elders, luckily for me we have no elders yet.

Tigerpaw continued towards camp, his tail hanging low, he so wanted to bring back his first piece of fresh-kill today, be able to eat and feel proud that he had filled up another clans hungry belly.

"Tigerpaw" Shadowheart shouted after him "Forget the nursery, I will get flame paw to do it I will need you to come on the patrol tonight, so get some rest and eat well before we head out for the patrol.


End file.
